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ACK Review:
Take the Tarpon 120 and stretch it two feet, add a flatter foot well and you have the 140. All of the great features of the 120 with more room to stand and exceptional storage.

Customer Rating: 4.7 of 5

Customer Reviews

Reviewer:

John

Rating:

5

Date:

6/10/2014

Review:

After reading a lot of reviews
and paddling 15 different
kayaks on a demo day, I
decided on the Tarpon 140. I
also liked the tarpon 120 and
probably would have been
happy with that one too if I had
purchased it. I use my new
140 on a large lake with
relatively calm waters except
for the wakes from boat traffic.
This kayak is stable, tracks
straight, and is relatively quick.
The phase 3 seat is extremely
comfortable for those long
paddles. I'm 6'1, 200 lbs and
relatively strong. You will need
either a cart to wheel this
kayak around or another
person to help you get it to the
water. It is heavy and difficult
to handle by myself. But once
on the water, it is terrific and I
am glad I purchased it. ACK
was great to work with they
helped me select a paddle and
pfd. Get a good paddle!

Reviewer:

Paul Laureano

Rating:

4

Date:

9/19/2013

Review:

Tarpon 140 with Rudder kit.
Excellent kayak. The rudder
makes a great difference. I
use it on the St, Johns River. It
is connected to the ocean, So it
can get quite rough. This
kayak goes straight. It handles
quite well no matter how rough
it gets.

Reviewer:

Susan S.

Rating:

5

Date:

9/2/2013

Review:

My husband and I are new to
kayaking, and wanted kayaks
that would be safe in
reasonably calm ocean water,
and also fun for flat water river
trips. We also wanted to be
able to take friends kayaking
in the local lakes near us. We
ordered 2 Tarpon140s with
rudders, delivered to our home
on Orcas Island off the coast of
the state of Washington. The
kayaks arrived with a week,
and in perfect shape, and free
shipping besides! Over the
last month, we took our
kayaks into both fresh and
ocean water and couldn't have
been happier with how they
performed. We love how
sensitive the rudder is and
what a great option it is for a
14 ft. long kayak - allowing the
kayak to turn on a dime. The
kayaks are also extremely
stable and the seat is
comfortable for long periods.
We haven't tried our kayaks in
ocean water with strong
currents, wind, etc., yet.
The only drawback for us is the
weight of the kayak, but my
husband and I have a system
for putting it on and off our car
racks together, which has so
far worked well (we are not
very strong or young!) We
have needed to carry a small
step ladder with us for putting
the kayaks on the car. Very
happy with our purchase!

Reviewer:

Joseph Harvey

Rating:

5

Date:

8/27/2013

Review:

Great Kayak! Should be cheaper
or come with rudder package for
this price!

Reviewer:

Mike

Rating:

5

Date:

5/28/2013

Review:

I love this kayak. It tracks straight without the rudder.
It's kinda heavy paddling but I mainly use it for fishing
and sailing. I'm glad I choose the mango color as it is
visible from afar. ACK is a great website and for all my
kayak/boat purchases will be with them. They offer free
shipping on orders over $39 and they take care of your
tax. Great website too!

Reviewer:

Matt

Rating:

5

Date:

4/11/2013

Review:

A long time canoe owner. I researched kayaks for literally
years before finally buying one. You can drive yourself nuts
reading the various forums on what boat is best. I wanted
quality. WS has a good reputation. My needs are complicated. I
paddle for exercise (performance), exploration(speed,
efficiency), hope to do some camping (storage) and I do a lot of
fishing (stability). Basically I needed a lot out of one boat since
I can't afford 2. I've done a couple of trips in the month I've
had it. My biggest concern was my weight. I'm 260, but am
happy to report water does not sit in the footwells. Its close, but
its no tub like critics claim. Do you get wet? Sure - a little if
there are waves. It sits low, so windage is minimal (coming
from a canoe its nothing). Also that low stance lowers the
center of gravity making this fast boat pretty stable. Consider
this in a market of boats where stability and speed are at the
ends of the performance spectrum. I got it with the rudder kit,
which I really like. Only complaint so far is not a common one-
The seat is not as comfortable as I had hoped. I'll hopefully find
an adjustment that I like, but it really doesn't tarnish my overall
satisfaction with the boat.

Reviewer:

Alec

Rating:

5

Date:

10/4/2012

Review:

I placed a order with Nelly
for the Wilderness Tarpon 140
Sept 31 Friday and had the
optional rudder installed. The
following Tuesday my kayak
arrived in San Diego! Awesome
service from ACK! On Thursday
I took it and got it wet in
San Diego Bay... Wow, I love
this kayak! So far the only
negative thing I can say is
the rudder line is little
stiff when I pull the rudder
up from the water. And the
center hatch is little
shallower than I thought.
Otherwise very fast and stable
for SOT kayak. The cargo
space in the back is
plentiful. Lots of room in
front hatch. And Im sure I
find items to add to the 4
tracks that came installed on
the kayak.

Reviewer:

T

Rating:

5

Date:

9/5/2012

Review:

This is an awesome kayak! Get
the rudder, you will like that
option. ACK packing and
delivery were great. I
ordered the
camo color, it looks really
nice. You cant go wrong with
a
Wildy!

Reviewer:

David Turko

Rating:

3

Date:

9/3/2012

Review:

Kayak has been great, I was lead
to believe the rod
holders would have come with the
package being called the Tarpon
140. I would only assume it was
a fishing package kayak????

ACK's Response:

This configuration of the Tarpon 140 does not come with rod holders. Item #1088, Tarpon 140 ACK Angler Package includes rod holders.

Reviewer:

Rob

Rating:

4

Date:

8/27/2012

Review:

I am very satisfied with this
kayak. I used to own a T 160,
bought in about 2003, and
loved it. Unfortunately, it
was stolen a few years ago.
The 140 is not as fast, but
the overall changes that have
been made in comfort and
convenience are very nice. Im
happy to trade a little speed
for the extra stability. Very
good workmanship.

Reviewer:

Patrick S.

Rating:

4

Date:

6/4/2012

Review:

After a ton of research,I
decided on the Tarpon 140. It
came packed pretty well,but it
still had some tears in the
plastic and some underlying
scratches...nothing major.
Wish they would use a heavy
shrink wrap from the factory.
The yak is fast and stable. Im
61 and 235. I kept the 4 rear
scupper plugs in and left the
footwell ones out and had
about 1/4 of water in the
footwells most of the day.
Pretty dry ride for me. Wish
there was some adjustibilty in
the footrest distance. My
knees are little up and
splayed out. This sometimes
interferes with my paddle
stroke and my upper thigh rubs
on the bungee islet that holds
the paddle in place. Wish
these were more flush with the
hull and not protruding. Also
a self centering rudder would
be nice springs,bungees??.
The seat is very comfortable
and adjustable.
Also a replaceable skid/skeg
would be nice. I also
recommend the Werner Skagit CF
paddle. Very lite with bite.
Great dealing with ACK and
will do so more in the future.
Patrick

Reviewer:

Bill Adams

Rating:

5

Date:

4/13/2012

Review:

I am very impressed with the
Tarpon 140. I also own the
Tarpon 120. I purchased this
Tarpon 140 to use on a large
lake with a lot of boat
traffic. Handles great and I
suggest the Rudder. The
service with Austin Canoe and
Kayak is exceptional.

Customer Reviews

Reviewer:

John

Rating:

5

Date:

6/10/2014

Review:

After reading a lot of reviews
and paddling 15 different
kayaks on a demo day, I
decided on the Tarpon 140. I
also liked the tarpon 120 and
probably would have been
happy with that one too if I had
purchased it. I use my new
140 on a large lake with
relatively calm waters except
for the wakes from boat traffic.
This kayak is stable, tracks
straight, and is relatively quick.
The phase 3 seat is extremely
comfortable for those long
paddles. I'm 6'1, 200 lbs and
relatively strong. You will need
either a cart to wheel this
kayak around or another
person to help you get it to the
water. It is heavy and difficult
to handle by myself. But once
on the water, it is terrific and I
am glad I purchased it. ACK
was great to work with they
helped me select a paddle and
pfd. Get a good paddle!

Reviewer:

Paul Laureano

Rating:

4

Date:

9/19/2013

Review:

Tarpon 140 with Rudder kit.
Excellent kayak. The rudder
makes a great difference. I
use it on the St, Johns River. It
is connected to the ocean, So it
can get quite rough. This
kayak goes straight. It handles
quite well no matter how rough
it gets.

Reviewer:

Susan S.

Rating:

5

Date:

9/2/2013

Review:

My husband and I are new to
kayaking, and wanted kayaks
that would be safe in
reasonably calm ocean water,
and also fun for flat water river
trips. We also wanted to be
able to take friends kayaking
in the local lakes near us. We
ordered 2 Tarpon140s with
rudders, delivered to our home
on Orcas Island off the coast of
the state of Washington. The
kayaks arrived with a week,
and in perfect shape, and free
shipping besides! Over the
last month, we took our
kayaks into both fresh and
ocean water and couldn't have
been happier with how they
performed. We love how
sensitive the rudder is and
what a great option it is for a
14 ft. long kayak - allowing the
kayak to turn on a dime. The
kayaks are also extremely
stable and the seat is
comfortable for long periods.
We haven't tried our kayaks in
ocean water with strong
currents, wind, etc., yet.
The only drawback for us is the
weight of the kayak, but my
husband and I have a system
for putting it on and off our car
racks together, which has so
far worked well (we are not
very strong or young!) We
have needed to carry a small
step ladder with us for putting
the kayaks on the car. Very
happy with our purchase!

Reviewer:

Joseph Harvey

Rating:

5

Date:

8/27/2013

Review:

Great Kayak! Should be cheaper
or come with rudder package for
this price!

Reviewer:

Mike

Rating:

5

Date:

5/28/2013

Review:

I love this kayak. It tracks straight without the rudder.
It's kinda heavy paddling but I mainly use it for fishing
and sailing. I'm glad I choose the mango color as it is
visible from afar. ACK is a great website and for all my
kayak/boat purchases will be with them. They offer free
shipping on orders over $39 and they take care of your
tax. Great website too!

Reviewer:

Matt

Rating:

5

Date:

4/11/2013

Review:

A long time canoe owner. I researched kayaks for literally
years before finally buying one. You can drive yourself nuts
reading the various forums on what boat is best. I wanted
quality. WS has a good reputation. My needs are complicated. I
paddle for exercise (performance), exploration(speed,
efficiency), hope to do some camping (storage) and I do a lot of
fishing (stability). Basically I needed a lot out of one boat since
I can't afford 2. I've done a couple of trips in the month I've
had it. My biggest concern was my weight. I'm 260, but am
happy to report water does not sit in the footwells. Its close, but
its no tub like critics claim. Do you get wet? Sure - a little if
there are waves. It sits low, so windage is minimal (coming
from a canoe its nothing). Also that low stance lowers the
center of gravity making this fast boat pretty stable. Consider
this in a market of boats where stability and speed are at the
ends of the performance spectrum. I got it with the rudder kit,
which I really like. Only complaint so far is not a common one-
The seat is not as comfortable as I had hoped. I'll hopefully find
an adjustment that I like, but it really doesn't tarnish my overall
satisfaction with the boat.

Reviewer:

Alec

Rating:

5

Date:

10/4/2012

Review:

I placed a order with Nelly
for the Wilderness Tarpon 140
Sept 31 Friday and had the
optional rudder installed. The
following Tuesday my kayak
arrived in San Diego! Awesome
service from ACK! On Thursday
I took it and got it wet in
San Diego Bay... Wow, I love
this kayak! So far the only
negative thing I can say is
the rudder line is little
stiff when I pull the rudder
up from the water. And the
center hatch is little
shallower than I thought.
Otherwise very fast and stable
for SOT kayak. The cargo
space in the back is
plentiful. Lots of room in
front hatch. And Im sure I
find items to add to the 4
tracks that came installed on
the kayak.

Reviewer:

T

Rating:

5

Date:

9/5/2012

Review:

This is an awesome kayak! Get
the rudder, you will like that
option. ACK packing and
delivery were great. I
ordered the
camo color, it looks really
nice. You cant go wrong with
a
Wildy!

Reviewer:

David Turko

Rating:

3

Date:

9/3/2012

Review:

Kayak has been great, I was lead
to believe the rod
holders would have come with the
package being called the Tarpon
140. I would only assume it was
a fishing package kayak????

This configuration of the Tarpon 140 does not come with rod holders. Item #1088, Tarpon 140 ACK Angler Package includes rod holders.

Reviewer:

Rob

Rating:

4

Date:

8/27/2012

Review:

I am very satisfied with this
kayak. I used to own a T 160,
bought in about 2003, and
loved it. Unfortunately, it
was stolen a few years ago.
The 140 is not as fast, but
the overall changes that have
been made in comfort and
convenience are very nice. Im
happy to trade a little speed
for the extra stability. Very
good workmanship.

Reviewer:

Patrick S.

Rating:

4

Date:

6/4/2012

Review:

After a ton of research,I
decided on the Tarpon 140. It
came packed pretty well,but it
still had some tears in the
plastic and some underlying
scratches...nothing major.
Wish they would use a heavy
shrink wrap from the factory.
The yak is fast and stable. Im
61 and 235. I kept the 4 rear
scupper plugs in and left the
footwell ones out and had
about 1/4 of water in the
footwells most of the day.
Pretty dry ride for me. Wish
there was some adjustibilty in
the footrest distance. My
knees are little up and
splayed out. This sometimes
interferes with my paddle
stroke and my upper thigh rubs
on the bungee islet that holds
the paddle in place. Wish
these were more flush with the
hull and not protruding. Also
a self centering rudder would
be nice springs,bungees??.
The seat is very comfortable
and adjustable.
Also a replaceable skid/skeg
would be nice. I also
recommend the Werner Skagit CF
paddle. Very lite with bite.
Great dealing with ACK and
will do so more in the future.
Patrick

Reviewer:

Bill Adams

Rating:

5

Date:

4/13/2012

Review:

I am very impressed with the
Tarpon 140. I also own the
Tarpon 120. I purchased this
Tarpon 140 to use on a large
lake with a lot of boat
traffic. Handles great and I
suggest the Rudder. The
service with Austin Canoe and
Kayak is exceptional.

Reviewer:

Eric Heline

Rating:

5

Date:

11/7/2011

Review:

Excellent watercraft. My first
sit upon, I am impressed with
its stability and handling.
I've had it out in the
estuaries and the surf, and am
now very comfortable being at
sea. Well thought out for a
fishing craft. Ordered with a
rudder, it makes a world of
difference, and I highly
recommend this option. The
rudder controls will be a bit
tight for anyone over 6 feet,
and there is not a lot of room
left to extend the cables or
the pedals. A photographer, I
have the sand color; and the
boat blends in well with the
background. All in all I'm
very pleased and can heartily
recommend this craft. Shipping
was quick, and as always, the
service with Austin Canoe and
Kayak is exceptional.

Reviewer:

Tom G.

Rating:

5

Date:

7/22/2011

Review:

I'm very impressed with the
Tarpon 140. We had rented a
Tarpon 120 and a Native Magic
12 last year and preferred the
features of the Tarpon 120,
but compared to the Native,
the Tarpon 120 was a dog to
paddle. I reasoned that a 14'
version might be the perfect
solution - a longer waterline
will mean a higher hull speed
and the narrower beam should
mean lower resisteance at any
given boat speed.
Prior to purchasing, we did a
paddle-off between the Tarpon
120 and 140 at the local Canoe
and Kayak shop. There was a
huge difference in paddling
effort and handling between
the two boats. The 120 is
wider and shorter. It's
incredibly stable. However,
the longer, narrower 140
paddles much easier. It is
noticably less stable though,
and does take a few minutes to
get comfortable with the
lessened stabilty. It's not
scary, but it is noticably
more tender. I'm not sure
I'll be able to paddle with my
65 pound Golden Retreiver
granddog like I had
envisioned... The one time I
tried, we both wound up in the
river. The 120 also tended to
corkscrew going downwind in a
12-16" chop; the 140 tracked
straight as an arrow. Without
the rudder, the 140 has a huge
turning radius and might be
obnoxious to manuever in tight
quarters. With the rudder,
directional control is
perfect. Definitely get the
rudder.
After purchasing the Tarpon
140, we rented a Redfish 14
for a week because I'll be
looking for a second boat
perhaps in the Fall. We again
did the paddle-off thing. The
Tarpon 140 is 3" narrowerer
and without a doubt easier to
paddle. It's layout and
outfitting is also much better
thought out than the Redfish
14. I'm very comfortable that
for my primary purposes, the
Tarpon 140 is the right boat
for me.
I don't plan to fish from the
boat, so the usefulness of the
emedded mounting rails is
questionable. However, I
store it upside down on a
homemade rack, and the rails
do a great job of distributing
the load across the length of
the rails and I don't have to
worry about the deck caving in
over time. For the first
week, I stored the boat on a
wheeled dolly, and the bottom
(between the main cockpit
scupper holes) did go somewhat
concave on me. With time
thogh (now that it's stored
upside down) the hull seems to
be returning to its intended
contour.
ACK is awsome. The local
Canoe and Kayak shop was
quoting a 3 week delivery
time, ACK provided it in
nominally a week. We had
issues with getting the local
delivery company to deliver
the boat from the local
terminal to our home and ACK
pounded them hard for us; the
boat was delivered the next
day. ACK mistakenly sent us
the wrong paddle and they
fixed that in next to no time
and with zero hassle as well.
I'm a big fan.

Reviewer:

JPB

Rating:

5

Date:

6/14/2011

Review:

Previously owned a wilderness system tarpon and
have tried many differant types as well. I kept
going back to the T140 and bought it from ACK-
Houston the weekend before memorial day. The
kayak handles and tracks great. I have since
added a rudder and it even improves on the already
great qualities of the ride.
ACK in houston took their time with me and
answered all my questions. Outstanding bunch to
work with. I bought my last Tarpon in Austin and
great service both times.

Reviewer:

wisyakman

Rating:

5

Date:

6/11/2011

Review:

I had the Tarpon 120 and wanted something a little faster so I grabbed a Tarpon 140. I all ready new the tarpon handled swells well,tracked and glided great and handled all my fishing gear so why get anything else. Over the years I have had a Native Ultimate 14.5 tandem, OK Trident 13, and a jackson Coosa Elite, but nothing and I mean nothing comes close to a Tarpon. I also shop ACK instead of the two local shops becuase of the fantastic customer service and speed they have for getting my items to me undamaged and often early. love you guys keep it up from Wisconsin

Reviewer:

jedagi

Rating:

5

Date:

12/16/2010

Review:

I bought my tarpon 140 about 6 years ago. At that time I
lived in deep south Texas. I put a lot of hours in fishing the
lower Laguna Madre. Paddled as much as 10 miles getting to
a fishing spot. Fished in some pretty rough conditions
without ever capsizing a single time. I've been drug all over
by black drum. This kayak performs perfectly. The 140 is a
pretty fast kayak but does seem to have a point of top speed
where harder faster paddling does not seem to change your
speed any. The only stability issue I had was trying to pull a
huge black drum into the boat. My kayak has a rudder and it
is especially handy when drift fishing to keep you at the
optimum angle while casting. I added a butt pad for comfort
and plugs in the scupper holes for a dryer ride. The 140 has
plenty of room for readily available gear and loads of stow
away storage. I highly recommend this kayak for fishing and
recreational activity.

Reviewer:

Robert

Rating:

5

Date:

7/13/2010

Review:

Bought two Tarpon 140 and could not be happier. ACK in Houston were great in their advice and guidance. This is a stable, fast and comfortable boat. By the way, get the rudders as it makes guiding the boat effortless. Again, could not be happier with the boats or service from ACK Houston.

The Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Kayak is a great kayak and all work done by ACK was exceptional. However the craftsmanship of the kayak its self is slightly off, meaning the little things such as trimming scupper hole edges from production was hastily done leaving sloppy edges. this being compared to the other kayaks i own. This is due to wilderness systems not Austin Kayak they were great.

Reviewer:

Marcel L.

Rating:

5

Date:

12/16/2008

Review:

I have been researching kayaks for about a year and after all my investigation I finally decided on the 2009 Tarpon 140 with rudder. I could not be happier about my decision. This is a superior craft in every sense of the word. I highly recommend it. You should definitely spend a little extra and get the rudder. I did and my yak tracks like an arrow. Save yourself the time and trouble of researching your next kayak...I already did the work for you. Buy the 2009 Tarpon 140 with rudder. You'll be very happy you did!

Reviewer:

Bill Zwinge

Rating:

4

Date:

12/1/2008

Review:

First a little about me, seventy year old male, 5'8", 175 lbs, have been paddling for three years. Bought the 2009 W/S Tarpon 140 so that my dog would be able to go with me. She lies in the tank well, sixty lbs of moving weight. With twenty lbs of ballast in the front hatch the boat is very stable. It seems like every time I go kayaking the wind is blowing fifteen k+. Without the rudder the boat wants to weather vane. Load the boat myself, in the wind it can be a handful. That is another story. Did I mention how much I love the new hatch covers, and the seat is to die for.

Reviewer:

Greg Blackwell

Rating:

5

Date:

7/7/2008

Review:

After trying out many kayaks, I chose the Tarpon 140. It is the right fit for my type of fishing. It is fast, tracks well, and has room for all my gear. The best thing is the stability. I was caught by an unexpected storm on a grass flat the other weekend. The winds were 35+MPH. The Tarpon held tight in the wind, and it handled the waves like a dream. My only problem with it is that the cockpit holds water almost constantly. This can be averted by inserting the scuppers, and the water never gets to the seat.

Reviewer:

JD Blosser

Rating:

5

Date:

11/2/2006

Review:

Kayak is highly visable in the water and remarkably fast. Though a bit difficult to handle on rivers, it is unbeatable on lakes. Handles swells easily and is a lot of fun. Difficult for one person to carry very far, but easy for two.

Reviewer:

William T Cryts

Rating:

5

Date:

11/2/2006

Review:

Kayak is highly visable in the water and remarkably fast. Though a bit difficult to handle on rivers, it is unbeatable on lakes. Handles swells easily and is a lot of fun. Difficult for one person to carry very far, but easy for two.